Nebraska
NPR features Gay’s solution to football physics conundrum
With Super Bowl LVIII days away, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Tim Gay was featured on a Feb. 7 episode of NPR’s “Short Wave” podcast that delved into a longtime mystery of football physics he helped explain: On a deep, well-thrown pass, why does the front tip of a football follow the ball’s trajectory, so that it points upward when launched but downward by the time it reaches a receiver?
Gay, Willa Cather Professor of physics and author of “Football Physics: The Science of the Game,” was first intrigued by the tight-spiral conundrum when asked about it by friend and Nobel Laureate Bill Phillips following a lecture Gay delivered in 2000.
“I have been to enough meetings with Bill that I knew that if he stood up and asked a question, the speaker had probably screwed something up,” Gay told NPR. “So I was a little petrified.”
Gay racked his brain for an answer but finally said, “I have no idea!” Thus, a 20-year quest began.
Gay found papers on the subject, NPR reported, but none of them told the whole story. He enlisted the help of two other physicists, Richard Price at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and William Moss at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
“We spent the next three years yelling at each other over Zoom about the problem,” the Husker physicist said.
One day, Gay began to wonder about torque, or how much a force makes an object rotate. In a forward pass, “it seems to be causing the ball to tilt down,” he said.
After theoretical calculations and computer simulations, the researchers determined that the answer lay in the combination of air resistance and the gyroscope effect. A paper detailing the findings was published in September 2020 as an Editor’s Selection in the American Journal of Physics. Learn more about the study here.
Learn more about the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
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OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – One of the biggest health concerns during the extreme cold settling into Nebraska this weekend is hypothermia and frostbite.
It can occur quickly, especially among older adults and young children.
Officials with CHI Health Saint Elizabeth in Lincoln, which is the only burn unit in Nebraska, often treat frostbite injuries.
“So really it’s about making sure we dress in layers. Really limit our exposure outside. Limit exposed tissue. so as much as Mom may have told you to wear that scarf, i’m probably not the best at it. during these times its really important we are wearing that scarf and cover up all that exposed tissue. That’s really going to decrease that time needed to be out in the elements,” said Nurse Eric Jensen, Burn and Trauma Program Coordinator at CHI Health St. Elizabeth.
They tell people to limit time outside and wear proper clothes.
If you start to feel numbness at all while outside, get indoors as quickly as possible. St. Elizabeth has treated three cases of frostbite this winter.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska Republican Party (NEGOP) released a statement Thursday condemning vandalism that reportedly happened outside its headquarters in Lincoln.
Surveillance video shared by the NEGOP appears to show a person placing a piece of a paper on the building, spitting on it and then walking off.
“This behavior is unacceptable and has no place in Nebraska politics,” said Mary Jane Truemper, Chair of the Nebraska Republican Party. “Peaceful disagreement and debate are fundamental to our republic. Intimidation, harassment, and destruction of property are not.”
The Lincoln Police Department said no police reports have been filed in connection with the vandalism.
10/11 reached out to the NEGOP for additional details about the vandalism.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
A Husker quarterback commit is transferring to a Nebraska high school for the 2026 season. Trae Taylor is transferring from Carmel Catholic (IL) to Millard South (NE).
In 11 games this season, he threw 3,571 yards, 38 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also ran 77 times for 633 yards and 12 touchdowns.
In 2025, Millard South went 12-1 and won a Nebraska Class A State title for the second year in a row. Taylor is expected to take over for starting quarterback Jett Thomalla, who is committed to Alabama.
Taylor shared his decision on social media. He confirmed that his family will be living in Lincoln and he will be commuting to Omaha for school. The quarterback believes that it will allow him to continue to peer recruit for Nebraska football while playing for Millard South.
This decision was not taken lightly. I’ll be living in Lincoln, commuting to Omaha. So, any chance I’m allowed in the facilities, I’ll be there. Kinda a redshirt year at a slower pace. 2) I don’t want to miss a single recruit that comes in. None of this is possible without my Coach (Jason McKie) and his support, and him giving me the green light to go be great nothing but love. And of course, my (Corsairs football) teammates, my progress was faster because of you. Thank you, Corsairs community.
Taylor is one of six recruits committed to the class of 2027. The class of 2027 is ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference.
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